Method of shoring excavations.



JOHN` J'. KENNEDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF SHORING- EXCAVATIONS.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 28, 1914.

Application kfiled January 7, 1913. Serial o. 740,701.

T @ZZ 'u1/wm t may concern: f

Be it known that l, JOHN J. KENNEDY, a

' citizen of the United States, and resident of yIl() the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Method of Shoring Excavations, of which the following is a specication.

`This invent-ion relates to a method of shoring excavations contemporaneously with the digging thereof, withthe object in view of providing arrangements whereby the necessity of breaking the ground for a much 'larger area at the surface than the desired.

cross section of the bottom of the excavation may be obviated.

Another object is to provide a method iny which the apparatus may be very cheaply constructed and easily handled whereby great saving may beobtained in labor cost with complete protection for the men within the excavation.

It has previously been'the custom in mak-k ing excavations to start at the top a holevof much greater cross sectional area than that required for the bottom of the excavation, in order that the walls will be self-supporting to a large extenty during the'digging operation. Therefore, a great amount of earth has been customarily removed in excess of that required for opening up an excavation of the desired area. Furthermore, it has previously been difficult to adequately shore the walls ofexcavations except at considerable intervals during their formation. With these thoughts in mind, I have devised the method which comprises this invention.

A. practical embodiment of the apparatus used in carrying out the invention is represented in lthe accompanying drawings, in

t which,

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of an excavation with the shoring in place. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section taken inthe plane of the'line A-A of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of part of the shoring in assembled position. Fig. 4 represents detail perspective views of the two kinds of planks used in forming the vwalls of the shoring, and Fig. 5 represents a detail interior perspective viewkof the shoring in as sembled posit-ion, parts being broken away.

The walls of the shoring consistof series of lanks l, 2, 3, 4. These planks have their end notched in order to be tted together;

oppositeplanks 1 land 3 having the ylowerl port-ions of their ends notched as at, 6, while the opposite planks 2 and 4k have the upper portions of their ends notched as at 7, 8, thereby forming two series of planks having notched ends for the purpose of enabling the planks to fit closely together in the form of a rectangle. n Any number of 'tiers of these planks may be placed one upon another, as shown in Figs. 2, 3and 5, according to the depth of the excavation, the planks forming .a complete sheathing Y or covering for the` walls of the said excavation.

As a further means of bracing the series of planks'l, 2,8, 4, I provide vertical posts 9, adapted to fitinside the rectangle formed by the planks at the juncture of the'ends `of adjacent planks. yTheseyposts 9 mayconveniently Vbe composed of s'cantling4 or beams, oblong in cross section, karranged in double thickness with the broad faces touchingeach other, as kclearly shown in Fig. 5, care being takento break joints, or, in other words, have the abutting ends ofthe scantling inone layer or thicknesscovered f by the body of a scantling in the other layer,

as clearly shown kat 10, in Fig. 5. These uprights 9 may conveniently be held in position by horizontally disposed braces 1l, fitted to be forced between adjacent uprights 9, at

convenient intervals.

It will be seen that this structure yis such .y

that heavy pressure from the outside will only ycause the bracing withiny to more effectively hold and support the sheathing or shoring composed of the `series of planks 1, 2, e, 4. f f

In case of work being carried on in sandy soil, it may be desirable toplace bearers l2 at the bottom ofthe shoring.

The method of using` this apparatus may be simply described as follows.v The cross sectional areaof the excavation desired being determined, ground is broken ycorrespondingmwith that area, and after a hole several inches or more in depth `hasbeen dug,

two planks 1 and 3, with the lower portions of their` ends notched, are horizontally arranged on edge opposite each other in the excavation. The digging is then'proceeded with until suliicient earth has been removed to permitof two planksvsimilar .to those denoted by 2 and 4 in the accompanying drawings, having the upper portions of their ends notched, being placed on edge at the other sides of the hole, with their projecting ends under the projecting ends of the planks 1 and 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. ledges 13 of wood or other convenient material, are

then driven horizontally into the earth uny derneath and touching the planks 2, 4. The earth may then be removed from under the planks 1 and 3, for a considerable distance, during which operation the planks 2 and 4 will support the planks 1 and 3 by reason Iof the engagement of their notched ends. After sufficient earth has been removed from under planks 1 and 3, planks exactly similar thereto are placed underneath them, and the wedges 13 removed from under the planks 2,- 4, and placed under this second tier of planks 1, 3. The earth may then be removed from under the planks 2, 4, while the latter will be supported Vby the second series of planks 1 3, because the ends of the latter project under the said planks 2, 4, and the wedges firmly support the said second series of planks 1, 3. It will 'be obvious that another set of planks like 2, 4, may then be placed in posi-tion under the first set of planks 2, 4, and the wedges inserted beneath them, in which position they will be fitted to support the whole structure as thus far made. This cycle of operations may be repeated indefinitely, until the proper or desired depth of the excavation has been reached. At desired intervals, the uprights 9 may be arranged in position and braced by the cross braces 11.

` It will be seen from the above description that the hole or excavation will be shored contemporaneously with the digging thereof, and that it will not be necessary to remove any earth other than that exactly needed for producing the cavity wanted.

If it seems desirable, the bearers 12 may occasionally be placed under the wedges 13 for the purpose vof firmly holding them in soft ground,` but this will, of course, depend upon the nature of the soil lpresent during the operation.

From the above descripition, taken in connection with the drawings, it must be evident that the apparatus is extremely simple and cheap to construct; while the method may well be carried out .by relatively unskilled labor; the shoring forming at all times a complete protection against caving in.

'I contemplate that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts used in carrying out the method, without departing from the spirit and scope of lmy invention; hence vIdo not wish to limit myself strictly to the form herein shown and described, but,

What I claim is:

1. A method of shoring excavations as made, involving .the following cycle of operations: first, placing a set of planks having notched ends opposite each other near the top of t-he excavation; second, placing another setl of planks, having similarly notched ends, opposite each other with their ends under the ends of the first mentioned set; third, placing supports under the second set of planks; fourth, removing the earth from under the first set of planks; fifth, placing a set of planks like the first set under the first set, and sixth, withdrawing the supports and placing them under the last set. f

2. A method of shoring excavations as made, involving the following cycle of operations; first, placing a set of planks having notched ends opposite each other near the top Vof the excavation; second, placing `another set of planks, having similarly notched ends, opposite each other with their ends underthe ends of the first mentioned set; third, placing wedges under the second set of planksfourth, removing the earth from under the first set of planks; fifth, placing a' set of planks like the rst set under the first set, and sixth, withdrawing the wedges and placing them under the last set.

3. A method of shoring excavations as made, involving the following` cycle of operations: first, placing a set of planks having notched ends, opposite each other near the top of the excavation; second, placing another set of planks, having similarly notchedk ends, opposite each other with their ends under the ends of the first mentioned set, and thereafter continuously supporting all the planks by alternately placing temporary supports under certain of the planks.

4. A method of shoring excavations as made, involving the following cycle of opy erations: frst,'placing a set of planks having notched ends, opposite each other near the top ofthe excavation; second, placing another set of planks, having similarly notched ends, opposite each other with their ends under the ends of the first mentioned set, and thereafter continuously supporting all the planks by alternately placing a pair of temporary Y supports under opposite planks.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this twenty-second day ofl October 1912.

JOHN J. KENNEDY. Witnesses:

GEORGE BARRY,

MGK. BARBER.

Copies .of this patent may be obtained addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washinton, D. Q3 

